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A bipartisan bill was introduced in the state legislature recently which would remove the residency requirement for disabled veteran-owned business enterprises (DVBEs) to be certified as such by the New Jersey DVBE program.

The program was implemented in 2015 with a 3 percent participation goal, but Assemblyman Ryan Peters has stated that since its inception, the program has resulted in "not one dollar" being awarded to DVBEs.

Under the current rules, a DVBE must have its principal place of business be located within the state of New Jersey. The bill would remove this requirement entirely, allowing out-of-state DVBEs to participate under the set-aside program's rubric. This is in line with DVBE programs in seven other states.

The bill may be read at https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/S3500/3136_I1.HTM. That version (identical to the House version) was introduced in the Senate by Senator Bob Andrzejczak, who also sponsored the original legislation creating the program in 2015.